The founders of London bar and market stall BAO are opening their own Soho restaurant next year. The Taiwanese-inspired restaurant, also called BAO, will be at 53 Lexington Street and will open in Spring 2015.
The three brains behind it are Erchen Chang (24) and siblings Shing Tat (28) and Wai Ting Chung (29). They’re being supported by Karam, Jyo and Sunaina Sethi - the family behind the restaurants Trishna,
Bubbledogs, Kitchen Table, Gymkhana and Lyle’s.
Shing said: “After years of travelling, recipe experimentation and cooking at Netil Market, we are thrilled to have secured our first restaurant in Soho.”
Erchen added: “Taiwanese food is still little known here…to able to excite and intrigue our customers with dishes they have never tried before is what I love most about being a chef”
Shing, Wai Ting and Erchen have travelled extensively across Taiwan, China and Asia over the years, cooking and eating together. Along with their travels, BAO also takes inspiration from the Xiao Chi, or ‘small eats’ restaurants in Erchen’s hometown of Taipei, and other cities.
Taking pride of place on the menu will be the trio’s signature Bao (steamed milk buns), created by husband and wife Head Chef team Shing Tat and Erchen, who have spent years developing their secret recipe.
The Bao will be hand made every day at the restaurant, with varieties including ‘The Classic’ - braised pork, peanut powder, fermented greens and coriander and ‘Daikon’ - panko crumbed daikon radish, daikon pickle, hot sauce and coriander. Bao will range from £3.50 - £5 each.
The rest of the menu will consist of snack and larger dishes including tendon puffs, pig blood cake, lamb tongue fries with curry dip, battered sweet potato with plum pickle salt, Daikon tots with century egg, turkey rice, quails egg and pickle and fried chicken marinated in soy milk.
Small glasses of peanut milk will accompany dishes, and to finish, desserts include deep fried bao ice cream sandwich and ice cream wrap with peanut brittle and coriander. A selection of Bao, snacks and desserts will also be available to take away.
The interior of the Soho restaurant will employ a stripped back feel, with wooden cladding and panelling on the walls, ceiling fans and a ceramic tiled floor. A low, long bar will stretch half the length of the room, and shelving will store house-made pickles and preserves such as mustard greens and Taiwanese Golden Kimchi.
At each place setting there will be chopsticks, and a jar of BAO’s own secret recipe hot sauce, all overhung by flat enamel pendant lights.
On the drinks menu, overseen by Wai Ting, there will be a short list of hot oolong and cold foam tea imported from Taiwan, such as Baozhong Oolong and Oriental Beauty. There will also be sakes and whiskies from Taiwan and Japan, including pear infused Shochu and Kavalan and Yamazaki Whisky. The beer list includes Taiwan beer, and there will also be signature cocktails such as Shochu with plum shrub.
BAO opens Spring 2015 on Lexington Street, Soho. For more information, head to http://baolondon.com
